Dwarfism in Cows
By kakemafarm
@kakemafarm (492)
United States
March 7, 2007 9:16pm CST
I have a one year old cow with dwarfism and was wondering if there is anyone out there who also has one. She was a four week old calf that I saw at an animal auction and ended up buying. We didn't realize she had a problem until I brought her home. She was extremely unhealthy when I brought her home; I took her to the vet two weeks after she came home and they weighed her in at only 40 pounds. I had to force feed her grain and milk for weeks. She was so weak I had to physically pick her up three times a day and massage her legs, prodding her to move around and build a little muscle. She is doing great now but is shorter than my 4 foot fence in the pasture. You can see pics of her on my Flickr page at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kakemafarms/
If anybody owns a dwarf cow or has in the past, please pass on any info you have!
2 responses
@kakemafarm (492)
• United States
8 Mar 07
Thanks for the welcome! I have heard that dwarfism in cows is a genetic issue, caused by a defect found in both the bull and the cow. The farmer that sold me this calf had to put the mother down because he didn't want this to happen again, very sad.
1 person likes this
@cybergwen (158)
• United States
8 Mar 07
Wow! I have seen miniature cows, but never an actual dwarf. Her front legs seem so skinny.
I don't have any advice to give, but thanks for sharing:)
1 person likes this
@kakemafarm (492)
• United States
8 Mar 07
Her front legs are a little "odd". From her midsection to the rear she looks completely normal, except for overall size. From the midsection to the front, she has a few issues. Her front "knee" joints are twisted so her front feet are pointed outward; she currently takes an herbal formula for arthritis and joint problems that has helped considerably. Her neck also is a problem; her neck doesn't move upward like a normal cow so her head is rarely above her back. She is a whole mess of problems but I love her dearly!
